Am Back...after a hiatus...
The last few weeks have been hectic, yet not interesting. I've, with some difficulty, managed to catch up on almost all the films that are playing in town. Some of them were utter trash- 10 kahaaniyaan and Om Shanti Om.
Goal was okay. So was Saawariya. Khoya Khoya Chand was good. Kingdom was interesting. Aaja Nachle is worth a repeat watch.
10 kahaaniyaan is a movie that should not have released. Except the story of Amrita Singh & Minisha Lamba, and the one with Mandira Bedi, no other story was worth watching. This film is not even a remedy for an insomniac.
Om Shanti Om was crap. Deepika Padukone looks deadly and the scene of SRK imitating Rajnikant was good. Otherwise, it was bad. Getting some stars to come in for guest appearances does not act as a camouflage for flawed direction. Recognising the crew in the climax, however, was a good idea.
Goal was a time-pass. Bipasha Basu has been under utilized. The "Billo Rani" song is mast.
Saawariya was okay, and not as bad as people say it is. It is slow, but, the effort to make each scene aesthetically appealing shows. It no doubt, is the best music album of the year. The new comers are both good.
Khoya Khoya Chand takes you straight to the 50's and 60's. Sheer indulgence of a director who brings that era in front of your eyes. I found it to be a more complex story than Zubeida, but its equally lovable. Contrary to what people say, I think Shiney Ahuja and Soha were both good in the movie. The character of Vinay Pathak reminded me strongly of a classmate from my post grad days ;-)
Kingdom was a good time pass... Amazing editing and screenplay... I liked the climax of the film...when Fox reveals what he tells the heroine when he sees her crying...
The pick of these was definitely Aaja Nachle... Madhuri Dixit can still electrify a screen after all these years and a couple of kids... The film has a very positive feel about it...The song "Oh re Piya" keeps playing in my mind...amazing song...The one dialogue I loved is when Madhuri tells Konkona.. "agar kaam samajhke karo, toh mushkil hai... agar pyar samjhke karo, toh... kuch bhi nahi...
Thursday, December 13, 2007
Tuesday, September 4, 2007
D'zires UnLtd.
Woh Kehte hain na...jo hota hai, achche ke liye hota hai...
As a child I remember having wanted to be many things- Astronaut, Mathematician, cricketer, Pilot, etc etc..
I took my first blow when realization dawned on me that I neither had the talent or the physical build to be a cricketer. One of the most painful sights from my childhood remains the sight of the first ball i bowled (during the selection for the "under-14" Thiruvananthapuram district team). The ball did not reach the batsman. People around me laughed. My heart knew the dream was over. The eternal optimist that I am, I went on to bowl 5 more balls, 3 of which never reached the batsman and the other two were whacked. I never bothered to see how far the ball went.
Planes always fascinated me. And so did Spacecrafts. One of my Mom's friends used to and still refers to me as "Rakesh Sharma", after India's first cosmonaut. As childhood gave way to teens, and the ideals of nationalism began to creep in, plus with India's 50th year of independence around the corner, the desire to become an astronaut got channelized into a desire to fly fighter planes. I knew I wanted to be a pilot in the Indian Air Force.
I was convinced that my very purpose in life was to fly planes and bomb India's enemies. However, there was a major obstacle- na, not one, but more than one. I was afraid of heights- big time. I remember climbing up the stairs of district center Janakpuri (those days it used to be absolutely deserted) and gazing down from up above the ground to break the fear. It took time, but, I was no longer afraid of heights. The next big problem was my own physical stamina which was pathetic. I started walking- mornings and evenings. And eventually started running- daily.
Kargil happened in 1999. That only added fuel to my dreams. I witnessed the funeral procession of a war-hero... also the scene on TV where a widow saluted the casket of her husband... I have never remembered moments when I was more pumped up.
My dream... my desire to get into the Air-Force only grew stronger. I was now running 14 kilometres a day. I nursed no fear. Every night I slept with dreams of wearing the blue uniform. Every morning I opened my eyes inside the cockpit.
I eventually went on to clear the written exam to get through National Defence Academy (NDA). I eventually went for the Assessment Center to Air Force Selection Board (AFSB), Mysore, in May 2000. It is a 5-6 day process and by the 3rd day I was convinced that I had focused on everything but for mental/ emotional strength. Staying away from parents in tough conditions was something I had never prepared myself for. I always knew that it would be tough, but my attachment to my dream was so overpowering that I thought nothing of such an eventuality where I may not be emotionally prepared to go through the rigour.
In the next 2-3 days I saw my dream land (not to be confused with dreamland). The landing was gentle, but, the impact was shattering. Zor ka jhatka, dheere se laga. I was stripped off my desired blue uniform.
I came back to Delhi, and went on to graduate in IT...During my years of graduation, I remember waking in the middle of the night expecting myself in cockpit of a fighter plane.
I remember a family friend mentioning during a discussion that, you don't have to fight for your country to prove your patriotism. It took time, but I eventually internalized it. These days, I make it a point to donate blood at the Armed forces transfusion centre thrice a year.
Looking back, it was good that I did not get through the Air-Force. The Air-Forced deserved better candidates and I deserved a different career.
My next big desire was to get into XLRI to pursue my MBA in HR. I cracked the written exam. I was all pumped for the interview. One of the most painful days from my days of young adulthood remains the day when I had the interview. In six minutes, I was slaughtered. It was deja-vu. I saw another dream land. And this time, zor ka jhatka, zor se laga.
XLRI eventually rejected my candidature. However, it is a tribute to the great institute that, even the letter of rejection is so beautifully drafted that I still preserve it.
I eventually "settled" for MHROD. The two years were absolutely beautiful. The 2 years wiped any remains of the debris left of any of my crash lands.
In retrospect, I would trade those 2 years@MHROD for nothing in the world. And I believe this is not empty rhetoric.
As a believer in destiny and a power up above the world so high.... each of these blows has helped me evolve... I guess people are right when they say what fun would a road be without detours and speed-breakers.
My good friend and Senior, Navnit, was talking to me about this theme...in a different context... We were discussing heart breaks when he said " Never make a person a priority in your life, when you are just an option in his/ her life"... I liked the sentence...
Quite a lot of my desires have met a successful end. I always rejoiced at the triumphs.
Some desires have gone incomplete and in hindsight I thank God for the same.
Woh Kehte hain na...jo hota hai, achche ke liye hota hai...
Sahi kehte hain....
As a child I remember having wanted to be many things- Astronaut, Mathematician, cricketer, Pilot, etc etc..
I took my first blow when realization dawned on me that I neither had the talent or the physical build to be a cricketer. One of the most painful sights from my childhood remains the sight of the first ball i bowled (during the selection for the "under-14" Thiruvananthapuram district team). The ball did not reach the batsman. People around me laughed. My heart knew the dream was over. The eternal optimist that I am, I went on to bowl 5 more balls, 3 of which never reached the batsman and the other two were whacked. I never bothered to see how far the ball went.
Planes always fascinated me. And so did Spacecrafts. One of my Mom's friends used to and still refers to me as "Rakesh Sharma", after India's first cosmonaut. As childhood gave way to teens, and the ideals of nationalism began to creep in, plus with India's 50th year of independence around the corner, the desire to become an astronaut got channelized into a desire to fly fighter planes. I knew I wanted to be a pilot in the Indian Air Force.
I was convinced that my very purpose in life was to fly planes and bomb India's enemies. However, there was a major obstacle- na, not one, but more than one. I was afraid of heights- big time. I remember climbing up the stairs of district center Janakpuri (those days it used to be absolutely deserted) and gazing down from up above the ground to break the fear. It took time, but, I was no longer afraid of heights. The next big problem was my own physical stamina which was pathetic. I started walking- mornings and evenings. And eventually started running- daily.
Kargil happened in 1999. That only added fuel to my dreams. I witnessed the funeral procession of a war-hero... also the scene on TV where a widow saluted the casket of her husband... I have never remembered moments when I was more pumped up.
My dream... my desire to get into the Air-Force only grew stronger. I was now running 14 kilometres a day. I nursed no fear. Every night I slept with dreams of wearing the blue uniform. Every morning I opened my eyes inside the cockpit.
I eventually went on to clear the written exam to get through National Defence Academy (NDA). I eventually went for the Assessment Center to Air Force Selection Board (AFSB), Mysore, in May 2000. It is a 5-6 day process and by the 3rd day I was convinced that I had focused on everything but for mental/ emotional strength. Staying away from parents in tough conditions was something I had never prepared myself for. I always knew that it would be tough, but my attachment to my dream was so overpowering that I thought nothing of such an eventuality where I may not be emotionally prepared to go through the rigour.
In the next 2-3 days I saw my dream land (not to be confused with dreamland). The landing was gentle, but, the impact was shattering. Zor ka jhatka, dheere se laga. I was stripped off my desired blue uniform.
I came back to Delhi, and went on to graduate in IT...During my years of graduation, I remember waking in the middle of the night expecting myself in cockpit of a fighter plane.
I remember a family friend mentioning during a discussion that, you don't have to fight for your country to prove your patriotism. It took time, but I eventually internalized it. These days, I make it a point to donate blood at the Armed forces transfusion centre thrice a year.
Looking back, it was good that I did not get through the Air-Force. The Air-Forced deserved better candidates and I deserved a different career.
My next big desire was to get into XLRI to pursue my MBA in HR. I cracked the written exam. I was all pumped for the interview. One of the most painful days from my days of young adulthood remains the day when I had the interview. In six minutes, I was slaughtered. It was deja-vu. I saw another dream land. And this time, zor ka jhatka, zor se laga.
XLRI eventually rejected my candidature. However, it is a tribute to the great institute that, even the letter of rejection is so beautifully drafted that I still preserve it.
I eventually "settled" for MHROD. The two years were absolutely beautiful. The 2 years wiped any remains of the debris left of any of my crash lands.
In retrospect, I would trade those 2 years@MHROD for nothing in the world. And I believe this is not empty rhetoric.
As a believer in destiny and a power up above the world so high.... each of these blows has helped me evolve... I guess people are right when they say what fun would a road be without detours and speed-breakers.
My good friend and Senior, Navnit, was talking to me about this theme...in a different context... We were discussing heart breaks when he said " Never make a person a priority in your life, when you are just an option in his/ her life"... I liked the sentence...
Quite a lot of my desires have met a successful end. I always rejoiced at the triumphs.
Some desires have gone incomplete and in hindsight I thank God for the same.
Woh Kehte hain na...jo hota hai, achche ke liye hota hai...
Sahi kehte hain....
Monday, August 20, 2007
Saturday, August 18, 2007
E, Pank, Bar and Dil Chahta hai...
I remember having watched DCH 12 times in the hall. I was a student then@KMC... I remember having taken the Rs. 20 tickets at Batra/ Alpana and having watched the movie with different people at different times.
I also remember having watched the movie with Dad. I guess he enjoyed the movie too.
In the movie, there is a sequence when, at Goa, one of the friends tells the other two that they should, together, visit Goa at least once a year. The character played by Akshaye Khanna tells them that...saal mein ek baar toh chhodo, dus saal mein shaayad ek baar bhi mil nahi paayenge...
The end of graduation brought with it mixed feelings... the excitement@joining an MBA...and the disappointment at my friends leaving for different places...
Pank (Pankaj) joined IIM-Indore, however was spotted in Delhi every quarter. E (Abhinav) joined NITIE-Mumbai... Doctor (Harsh) joined MDI-Gurgaon and was never ever seen in Delhi again... Bihar (Sidharth) left for IIT-Chennai... Paul joined IMT-Ghaziabad, steadfastly refusing to come out of his campus...Bar (Luvkesh) joined Fore and we used to meet at the oddest of hours once in 3-4 months...Proole and Buzz left Delhi to join Infy@Bangalore... And none of us knows where Anand vanished...
I joined D-skool...back in north campus... every single visit to my new college filling me with nostalgia and emotion for the 4 preceding years in North Campus.
Only a person who has lived his life (mind u- "lived", not "existed") in North Campus can appreciate these emotions.
Slowly, there were new friends in my life...
I kept meeting my old friends once in a while, however, we have never met- together..all of us... Trust it would be somewhat difficult now...
But I guess they were "there" all the time... be it to chitchat online...on the phone... or to meet up over those Sweet Nothings... or even to counsel me after each of my heartbreaks (with the same girl ;-) )... or to sit by me when I was crying a couple of hours after my MHROD farewell ended....or by "being there" silently... I'm sure all of us realize that after a point in every relationship, we do not need "words" to communicate...
I kept meeting Pank almost every quarter; After passing out, he joined UTI bank in Mumbai. Bihar joined ICICI bank...in Mumbai. Doctor joined Deutche Bank... in Mumbai... Paul joined Citigroup... in Mumbai...E joined ICICI bank...in Mumbai...
Everytime, I was in Mumbai, I met atleast 2 of them...
Proole got married and is now in Mumbai..
Bar joined Citigroup too... in Coimbatore... Now I call him Madrasi...
Buzz eventually moved on to Germany and is now in the US of A... every time he is here, thanks to the proximity of his residence from where I stay, we get to meet...
Sometime back, Bar called to say that he's quit his job with Citi and was shifting to join another organization in Delhi. Pank called to say that he has been transferred to Delhi. On Independence day, the three of us met...and together we had a ball...
Doctor, it seems, is looking forward to a Delhi shift soon.
Sometime soon, I'm sure, we will all meet together- seems difficult, but am sure it will happen.
This one is dedicated to our friend Anand. None of us knows where he is. But I'm sure, wherever he is, he is doing well for himself.
Even as I get sentimental over all this, I'm reminded of an old song...
"Zindagi Ke Safar Mein Guzar Jaate Hain Jo Makaam, Woh Phir Nahin Aate, Woh Phir Nahin Aate.... "
Pata nahi... But,I wish they do....
Watch this space for more on this...
I also remember having watched the movie with Dad. I guess he enjoyed the movie too.
In the movie, there is a sequence when, at Goa, one of the friends tells the other two that they should, together, visit Goa at least once a year. The character played by Akshaye Khanna tells them that...saal mein ek baar toh chhodo, dus saal mein shaayad ek baar bhi mil nahi paayenge...
The end of graduation brought with it mixed feelings... the excitement@joining an MBA...and the disappointment at my friends leaving for different places...
Pank (Pankaj) joined IIM-Indore, however was spotted in Delhi every quarter. E (Abhinav) joined NITIE-Mumbai... Doctor (Harsh) joined MDI-Gurgaon and was never ever seen in Delhi again... Bihar (Sidharth) left for IIT-Chennai... Paul joined IMT-Ghaziabad, steadfastly refusing to come out of his campus...Bar (Luvkesh) joined Fore and we used to meet at the oddest of hours once in 3-4 months...Proole and Buzz left Delhi to join Infy@Bangalore... And none of us knows where Anand vanished...
I joined D-skool...back in north campus... every single visit to my new college filling me with nostalgia and emotion for the 4 preceding years in North Campus.
Only a person who has lived his life (mind u- "lived", not "existed") in North Campus can appreciate these emotions.
Slowly, there were new friends in my life...
I kept meeting my old friends once in a while, however, we have never met- together..all of us... Trust it would be somewhat difficult now...
But I guess they were "there" all the time... be it to chitchat online...on the phone... or to meet up over those Sweet Nothings... or even to counsel me after each of my heartbreaks (with the same girl ;-) )... or to sit by me when I was crying a couple of hours after my MHROD farewell ended....or by "being there" silently... I'm sure all of us realize that after a point in every relationship, we do not need "words" to communicate...
I kept meeting Pank almost every quarter; After passing out, he joined UTI bank in Mumbai. Bihar joined ICICI bank...in Mumbai. Doctor joined Deutche Bank... in Mumbai... Paul joined Citigroup... in Mumbai...E joined ICICI bank...in Mumbai...
Everytime, I was in Mumbai, I met atleast 2 of them...
Proole got married and is now in Mumbai..
Bar joined Citigroup too... in Coimbatore... Now I call him Madrasi...
Buzz eventually moved on to Germany and is now in the US of A... every time he is here, thanks to the proximity of his residence from where I stay, we get to meet...
Sometime back, Bar called to say that he's quit his job with Citi and was shifting to join another organization in Delhi. Pank called to say that he has been transferred to Delhi. On Independence day, the three of us met...and together we had a ball...
Doctor, it seems, is looking forward to a Delhi shift soon.
Sometime soon, I'm sure, we will all meet together- seems difficult, but am sure it will happen.
This one is dedicated to our friend Anand. None of us knows where he is. But I'm sure, wherever he is, he is doing well for himself.
Even as I get sentimental over all this, I'm reminded of an old song...
"Zindagi Ke Safar Mein Guzar Jaate Hain Jo Makaam, Woh Phir Nahin Aate, Woh Phir Nahin Aate.... "
Pata nahi... But,I wish they do....
Watch this space for more on this...
Wednesday, August 15, 2007
chak de...
I don't want my blog to look like a film review station. But, having been a person so influenced by films and books, I wouldn't be surprised if it tastes like one.
I've been fortunate to see quite a few awesome films over the last month. It started with the OSIANs film fest followed by the one at IHC. Some great films released in theatres too. I've already talked about Gandhi- my Father.
I also saw Rush Hour-3. It is a thorough entertainer, though not a patch on the 1st part. Wonder if Jackie Chan is made of rubber...
Blue Umbrella is one of the sweetest films I've seen. The innocence of pahaadi village life that is so beautifully depicted in the stories of Ruskin Bond has been translated on to celluloid without an ounce of the beauty spilling over. The performance of Pankaj Kapur shows why he is amongst the most under-utilised actors in the country.
The pick of the week was Chak De...India- An amazingly well made sports drama with generous doses of subtle nationalism. The cliched theme of the victory of the underdogs has been given a new life.
Remember Lakshya... remember Lagaan.... and remember the positive energy that one comes out of the hall with. Similar is the experience after Chak De.
All of us know the story right...how Shah Rukh Khan helps the women's hockey team win the world cup. I'm sure there are doubting Thomas' like me who typically choose to give SRK movies a slip. Surprisingly, you don't see SRK on screen... you see Kabir Khan... just as you saw Mohan Bhargava in Swades.
Kabir Khan, the coach makes it clear- "is team mein sirf ek goonda hai aur woh main hoon"... Awesome... See the confidence that oozes out of him as he speaks these lines... witness the conviction...
"Mujhe sirf ek naam sunaai deta hai- I-N-D-I-A"... when he says he can't hear the names of different states...
The tongue-in-cheek remarks when he speaks with the chief of the hockey federation... or the one about the white man hoisting the Indian Tricolour are masterpieces.
Look at the scene after the men v/s women hockey match when the men raise their hockey sticks in salute of the women's performance... witness the scene in the begining when at the registration table, the gentleman welcomes the girls from north-east as "mehmaan" and the girls innocently saying, "aapko kaisa lagega apne hee desh mein mehmaan banke"...
Look at the power in the "sattar minute" dialogue...
The scenes in the women's room... the bickerings... the bullying... and the eventual camaraderie are all well shot!!!
The song, "teeja tera rang tha main toh...maula mere le le meri jaan" plays in the backdrop at the most apt of times...
The scene of the redemption for Kabir Khan at the end of the world cup (watch the tricolour strategically placed) is amongst the best in the movie.
The cake however is reserved for two scenes... one... in the begining of the movie...after the moments of shame...kabir khan leaves his ancestral home with his mom... and a kid saying "gaddaar ko dekhna hai".... And eventually in the scene of his ultimate redemption at the end when he comes back with his mom to the same home after 7 years...and gets a hero's welcome.... and a kid rubbing of the "gaddaar" written on the walls...and kabir handing over a hockey stick to the kid... I think Shah Rukh Khan has excelled in the scene...
I cannot recollect any aspect of the movie that i did not like... The background score is damn good...the editing and screnplay are both tight...the film is beautifully shot... the performances are all superb... in particular the girl who plays Komal Chautala, the haryanvi girl in the movie...see the energy she exudes...
(I've heard the girl who plays the role is actually a garhwali... was wondering if all short garhwaali girls exude the same kind of energy...experience says- affirmative...)
Full marks to Shimit Amin the director...
Dont chuck Chak De...its worth a watch and even more...
Its an experience....again
I've been fortunate to see quite a few awesome films over the last month. It started with the OSIANs film fest followed by the one at IHC. Some great films released in theatres too. I've already talked about Gandhi- my Father.
I also saw Rush Hour-3. It is a thorough entertainer, though not a patch on the 1st part. Wonder if Jackie Chan is made of rubber...
Blue Umbrella is one of the sweetest films I've seen. The innocence of pahaadi village life that is so beautifully depicted in the stories of Ruskin Bond has been translated on to celluloid without an ounce of the beauty spilling over. The performance of Pankaj Kapur shows why he is amongst the most under-utilised actors in the country.
The pick of the week was Chak De...India- An amazingly well made sports drama with generous doses of subtle nationalism. The cliched theme of the victory of the underdogs has been given a new life.
Remember Lakshya... remember Lagaan.... and remember the positive energy that one comes out of the hall with. Similar is the experience after Chak De.
All of us know the story right...how Shah Rukh Khan helps the women's hockey team win the world cup. I'm sure there are doubting Thomas' like me who typically choose to give SRK movies a slip. Surprisingly, you don't see SRK on screen... you see Kabir Khan... just as you saw Mohan Bhargava in Swades.
Kabir Khan, the coach makes it clear- "is team mein sirf ek goonda hai aur woh main hoon"... Awesome... See the confidence that oozes out of him as he speaks these lines... witness the conviction...
"Mujhe sirf ek naam sunaai deta hai- I-N-D-I-A"... when he says he can't hear the names of different states...
The tongue-in-cheek remarks when he speaks with the chief of the hockey federation... or the one about the white man hoisting the Indian Tricolour are masterpieces.
Look at the scene after the men v/s women hockey match when the men raise their hockey sticks in salute of the women's performance... witness the scene in the begining when at the registration table, the gentleman welcomes the girls from north-east as "mehmaan" and the girls innocently saying, "aapko kaisa lagega apne hee desh mein mehmaan banke"...
Look at the power in the "sattar minute" dialogue...
The scenes in the women's room... the bickerings... the bullying... and the eventual camaraderie are all well shot!!!
The song, "teeja tera rang tha main toh...maula mere le le meri jaan" plays in the backdrop at the most apt of times...
The scene of the redemption for Kabir Khan at the end of the world cup (watch the tricolour strategically placed) is amongst the best in the movie.
The cake however is reserved for two scenes... one... in the begining of the movie...after the moments of shame...kabir khan leaves his ancestral home with his mom... and a kid saying "gaddaar ko dekhna hai".... And eventually in the scene of his ultimate redemption at the end when he comes back with his mom to the same home after 7 years...and gets a hero's welcome.... and a kid rubbing of the "gaddaar" written on the walls...and kabir handing over a hockey stick to the kid... I think Shah Rukh Khan has excelled in the scene...
I cannot recollect any aspect of the movie that i did not like... The background score is damn good...the editing and screnplay are both tight...the film is beautifully shot... the performances are all superb... in particular the girl who plays Komal Chautala, the haryanvi girl in the movie...see the energy she exudes...
(I've heard the girl who plays the role is actually a garhwali... was wondering if all short garhwaali girls exude the same kind of energy...experience says- affirmative...)
Full marks to Shimit Amin the director...
Dont chuck Chak De...its worth a watch and even more...
Its an experience....again
Saturday, August 11, 2007
main shaayar toh nahi...
My good friend Jeetu quoted something sometime back-
"Waqt Rehta Nahi kabhi tik kar...waqt rehta nahi kabhi tik kar... uski fitrat bhi aadmi see hai..."
I was impressed by the shaer (i actually put that on my gtalk status).
I love calling myself a poet and a musafir... I've tried my hand at poetry over the last few years... most of what I've written have been trashed by my ever-loving readers... Some of them I've trashed too... With some, in the past, I've made a couple of girls cry, nay, weep. (I don't know what made them do that.... me or my poem...)
My mind raced back to when I started enjoying poetry. Couldnt recollect when- but certainly not during those days when we had to mug up poems... no better way 2 ruin a child's interest in poems...
Some poems that have captured my interest through the years have been Kipling's IF and Hunt's Abou Ben Adhem. Recently my friend-mentor-senior Himanshu showed me a poem on wind... I'll put that up here soon... That was almost as interesting as the other two I've mentioned.
KMC exposed me to the world of urdu poetry... and ghazals... 7 years back, forget if i had heard ghulam Ali, I had not even heard of Ghulam Ali....
Of late, thanks to my friends- Himanshu and another friend-mentor-senior Doctorsaab, my latest fascination is for Kabir ke dohe and songs sung by Abida Parveen...
I'll go back to my frnd...Jeetu whose quote inspired this blog... he is one of those characters jiske har andaaz mein kuch poetic hai... u almost hear background voices/ noises of "arz hai" and "waah waah" when u meet him....Its his b'day later this month... And to him is dedicated the following lines from an old hindi song...
"oh mere humraahi...mere baah thaame chalna,
badle duniya saari, tum na badalna..."
"Waqt Rehta Nahi kabhi tik kar...waqt rehta nahi kabhi tik kar... uski fitrat bhi aadmi see hai..."
I was impressed by the shaer (i actually put that on my gtalk status).
I love calling myself a poet and a musafir... I've tried my hand at poetry over the last few years... most of what I've written have been trashed by my ever-loving readers... Some of them I've trashed too... With some, in the past, I've made a couple of girls cry, nay, weep. (I don't know what made them do that.... me or my poem...)
My mind raced back to when I started enjoying poetry. Couldnt recollect when- but certainly not during those days when we had to mug up poems... no better way 2 ruin a child's interest in poems...
Some poems that have captured my interest through the years have been Kipling's IF and Hunt's Abou Ben Adhem. Recently my friend-mentor-senior Himanshu showed me a poem on wind... I'll put that up here soon... That was almost as interesting as the other two I've mentioned.
KMC exposed me to the world of urdu poetry... and ghazals... 7 years back, forget if i had heard ghulam Ali, I had not even heard of Ghulam Ali....
Of late, thanks to my friends- Himanshu and another friend-mentor-senior Doctorsaab, my latest fascination is for Kabir ke dohe and songs sung by Abida Parveen...
I'll go back to my frnd...Jeetu whose quote inspired this blog... he is one of those characters jiske har andaaz mein kuch poetic hai... u almost hear background voices/ noises of "arz hai" and "waah waah" when u meet him....Its his b'day later this month... And to him is dedicated the following lines from an old hindi song...
"oh mere humraahi...mere baah thaame chalna,
badle duniya saari, tum na badalna..."
Saturday, August 4, 2007
Gandhi- My Father
"Ab hum use Harilal bulaayein ya Abdullah, pyaara toh utna hee rahega na", says Gandhi to Kasturba when he hears of his son's conversion to Islam.
There are films- some that entertain, some that bore you...there are some that touch you... and then there are those great works of art that transcend just being films and become an experience that remain glued firmly with the viewer, even after (s)he comes out of the hall. "Gandhi- My Father", undoubtedly belongs to the latter genre.
Does it create an impact like an RDB or Lage Raho. Maybe not... Does it bring the viewer closer to Gandhi as was the case with Lage Raho. Maybe not... But, it shows facets of Gandhi- the father, the human being, the family man which was hitherto never shown in films. And it does not paint him black.
The film talks of the tribulations of Harilal Gandhi, Mohandas Gandhi and Kasturba Gandhi and the tumultuous relationship between the father and the son. Isn't it intriguing that the Mahatma's eldest son died as a virtual unknown... as a beggar on the streets somewhere in India.
Its an interesting story. A well educated, well respected gentleman, Barrister of Law from England, and a prisoner of truth and his own principles.... wanting his sons to toe the same line as he... and a son who craves for foreign education, forced to remain a prisoner of his father's principles... unable to cope with the high standards, eventually seeking refuge in rebellion and escapism... swaying repeatedly between good and deceit... desperately seeking to reform self and being unable to do so... " bahut baar bhavishya badalna chaaha maine apna, par ateet peechha hee nahi chhodta..." says the son...
And caught in between the stubborn father and the rebellious son is a helpless mother. I've often felt that Kasturba's role has been underrated in history.
A few scenes in the movie appealed to me. The scene where the father tends the wound (in the knee) of the son. In the process he also informs the son that it is not Harilal, but a nephew of the Mahatma who would be sent on a scholarship (meant for Harilal) to England to study law. Watch the son saying "main theek hoon" and limping away.
The scene in the train bogey, when after the discussion, when the father, mother and son are looking in different directions. How metaphorical!!!
The scene where the father and the son have a long discussion through the night which culminates with the son saying, "mehrbaani karke mujhe akela chhod deejiye".
I've always felt that the father-son relationship is extremely special. From the times as a child, when my attitude was "my daddy strongest" (i still believe that)... to times of conflicting opinion during teens... to times when I've understood him better as a young adult...
The hallmark of the film that I saw shall remain the beauty with which the father-son relationship has been depicted. Watch the scene where Harilal is massaging the feet of his father... or when the father is tending to the wound of his son...or when the father instructs his secretary to arrange for the immediate arrival of his daughter-in-law in south africa... the father and son having the long conversation from evening to night...the father asking "karna kya chaahte ho" (does this ring a bell )... or telling the son... "mujhe tumhaari awaaz sun-ne mein der hui...maaf kar dena mujhe".... Beautiful!!!!
I'm overcome by an urge to read Gandhi's autobiography again. There is so much that the man had to go through. The beauty of his story is...he wasn't born Mahatma... as shyam Benegal would put it- The Making of the Mahatma... It is an extraordinary story of an ordinary man who rose from ordinary to extraordinary... and the collaterals that happened on the way...
Go watch the movie. It released yesterday and there were barely 30 people in the hall including my Dad and me... It would be a shame if this movie flops... Feroz Abbas Khan and Anil Kapoor deserve kudos for the effort... So do Akshaye Khanna (Harilal) and Darshan Jariwala (Mohandas Gandhi) and the rest of the team....
There are films- some that entertain, some that bore you...there are some that touch you... and then there are those great works of art that transcend just being films and become an experience that remain glued firmly with the viewer, even after (s)he comes out of the hall. "Gandhi- My Father", undoubtedly belongs to the latter genre.
Does it create an impact like an RDB or Lage Raho. Maybe not... Does it bring the viewer closer to Gandhi as was the case with Lage Raho. Maybe not... But, it shows facets of Gandhi- the father, the human being, the family man which was hitherto never shown in films. And it does not paint him black.
The film talks of the tribulations of Harilal Gandhi, Mohandas Gandhi and Kasturba Gandhi and the tumultuous relationship between the father and the son. Isn't it intriguing that the Mahatma's eldest son died as a virtual unknown... as a beggar on the streets somewhere in India.
Its an interesting story. A well educated, well respected gentleman, Barrister of Law from England, and a prisoner of truth and his own principles.... wanting his sons to toe the same line as he... and a son who craves for foreign education, forced to remain a prisoner of his father's principles... unable to cope with the high standards, eventually seeking refuge in rebellion and escapism... swaying repeatedly between good and deceit... desperately seeking to reform self and being unable to do so... " bahut baar bhavishya badalna chaaha maine apna, par ateet peechha hee nahi chhodta..." says the son...
And caught in between the stubborn father and the rebellious son is a helpless mother. I've often felt that Kasturba's role has been underrated in history.
A few scenes in the movie appealed to me. The scene where the father tends the wound (in the knee) of the son. In the process he also informs the son that it is not Harilal, but a nephew of the Mahatma who would be sent on a scholarship (meant for Harilal) to England to study law. Watch the son saying "main theek hoon" and limping away.
The scene in the train bogey, when after the discussion, when the father, mother and son are looking in different directions. How metaphorical!!!
The scene where the father and the son have a long discussion through the night which culminates with the son saying, "mehrbaani karke mujhe akela chhod deejiye".
I've always felt that the father-son relationship is extremely special. From the times as a child, when my attitude was "my daddy strongest" (i still believe that)... to times of conflicting opinion during teens... to times when I've understood him better as a young adult...
The hallmark of the film that I saw shall remain the beauty with which the father-son relationship has been depicted. Watch the scene where Harilal is massaging the feet of his father... or when the father is tending to the wound of his son...or when the father instructs his secretary to arrange for the immediate arrival of his daughter-in-law in south africa... the father and son having the long conversation from evening to night...the father asking "karna kya chaahte ho" (does this ring a bell )... or telling the son... "mujhe tumhaari awaaz sun-ne mein der hui...maaf kar dena mujhe".... Beautiful!!!!
I'm overcome by an urge to read Gandhi's autobiography again. There is so much that the man had to go through. The beauty of his story is...he wasn't born Mahatma... as shyam Benegal would put it- The Making of the Mahatma... It is an extraordinary story of an ordinary man who rose from ordinary to extraordinary... and the collaterals that happened on the way...
Go watch the movie. It released yesterday and there were barely 30 people in the hall including my Dad and me... It would be a shame if this movie flops... Feroz Abbas Khan and Anil Kapoor deserve kudos for the effort... So do Akshaye Khanna (Harilal) and Darshan Jariwala (Mohandas Gandhi) and the rest of the team....
Wednesday, July 25, 2007
Thank you Dr. Kalam...
I'm teary eyed today. APJ Abdul Kalam remits office as the first citizen of the country today.
Kalam came in as a whiff of fresh air in the otherwise gloomy and stagnant spectrum of Indian politics. He was (and is) certainly not a politician. A scientist, academician and a wonderful human being- revered by one and all. He brought with him a 4 letter word that one could not associate with too many in public life- HOPE. A perennial aura of optimism seems to revolve around him, isn't it?
I've admired him for a variety of reasons- prominent among them being his ability to stay rooted to the ground and his ability to connect with people across age, race and religion. Those who watched him on TV at the RamNath Goenka memorial debate would agree with me.
He is a visionary. The question we need ask ourselves is if we are worthy of his vision. He sees India growing "happy together". What a thought!!!
Can we think of any politician, any where in the world, in modern times, who can talk of "values" as a building block in a country's growth. Maybe, it is because he is not a politician that he can speak like this.
History shall recount Dr. Kalam as a great scientist, an unparalleled visionary and an amazing human being. It is the country's misfortune that the ruling political confusion/ coalition chose not to renominate Dr. Kalam for president.
The consolation however is that, Kalam the academic is back.... maybe thats the place he would be most happy...
Kalam came in as a whiff of fresh air in the otherwise gloomy and stagnant spectrum of Indian politics. He was (and is) certainly not a politician. A scientist, academician and a wonderful human being- revered by one and all. He brought with him a 4 letter word that one could not associate with too many in public life- HOPE. A perennial aura of optimism seems to revolve around him, isn't it?
I've admired him for a variety of reasons- prominent among them being his ability to stay rooted to the ground and his ability to connect with people across age, race and religion. Those who watched him on TV at the RamNath Goenka memorial debate would agree with me.
He is a visionary. The question we need ask ourselves is if we are worthy of his vision. He sees India growing "happy together". What a thought!!!
Can we think of any politician, any where in the world, in modern times, who can talk of "values" as a building block in a country's growth. Maybe, it is because he is not a politician that he can speak like this.
History shall recount Dr. Kalam as a great scientist, an unparalleled visionary and an amazing human being. It is the country's misfortune that the ruling political confusion/ coalition chose not to renominate Dr. Kalam for president.
The consolation however is that, Kalam the academic is back.... maybe thats the place he would be most happy...
Friday, July 20, 2007
Shonaar Bangaal...
More on other trips later, Kolkata takes the cake.
Bengal- the land of Vivekananda and Yogananda... the land of Tagore... Netaji... of Ray and Ghatak... of Saurav Ganguly and Leander Paes...
Bengal of Dokkhineswar (Thats how Dakshineswar is pronounced...right??) .... mayapur... Hughli... Howrah...
Bengal of Bipasha Basu... of Rosogullas... of Sondesh.....
Bengal of Devdas...
My heart swelled with emotion and joy as I landed in the city of Joy from Ranchi. I had last come here as a kid. I could hear in the corner of my mind a statement somebody made... I could not recollect who the somebody was...nevertheless... the statement was "What Bengal thinks today, India thinks tomorrow"...
I had been long anticipating this trip. The first evening was rather uneventful. It was cloudy and I was tired after a gruelling 6 hours in the car and a couple later in the aircraft.
The city is most beautiful in the evening/ night. The buildings are old... The ambience is of an era gone by... Even the taxis that operate are Ambassador cars...
I've always believed that the character of a city can be determined by how safe its women are... And that is best characterised by the number of women you see on the streets in the dark... I think Kolkata scores heavily there...
Bong women have always fascinated me. Interestingly, though not unexpectedly, none of my female Bong friends found me fascinating.
I was fortunate enough to get a Sunday in Kolkata before my work began on Monday.
I had an awesome breakfast of Singhada-Jolebi- Rosogulla- Sondesh- 1 more Singhada, and followed that up with much wanted Tamil meals for lunch at Madras tiffin house right next to Metro Cinema near Esplanade.
My first stopover was Thakurbaari...where Robindranath Tagore was born and eventually breathed his last. Bengalis have not just been extraordinary thinkers, but have been great patrons of art... Who better than Tagore himself could be testimony to this...
As I stepped into the compound of Tagore's house, I could hear in a corner of my mind, the immortal lines- "jadi tor daak shune keu naa aashe tabe ekla chalo re tabe ekla chalo, ekla chalo, ekla chalo...."
Ekla chalo is perhaps one of the powerful songs I have heard... What a poem!!!
I hired a cab and we drove to the Kali temple at Dakshineswar.
I got down at the temple and walked first towards Yogoda Satsanga Society founded by Paramhansa Yogananda himself. The place, as expected was serene and beautiful. Situated on the bank of Hooghli, there is a quiet peace one experiences as one enters the premises. The friendly nature of people touches the visitor- right from the security guard to the people in the library to the gentleman in the meditation room. The few minutes I spent in the meditation room there would be amongst the most cherished moments in the trip.
The beautiful evening had just begun. I walked back to the Kali temple. The moments inside were awesome. It was crowded, and strangely, I could still find peace there. (Typically I find it difficult to find peace in a group/ when there are people around)
One of the lines written on the wall outside the Sanctum Sanctorum in the temple was a line from a scripture- "Ya Devi Sarva Bhootheshu, Maatri RoopeNa Samsthitha... Namasthasyi Namasthasyi Namo Namaha"... I love this line.
Amongst the most memorable moments in the evening was spending a few quiet seconds in the room where Ramakrishna Paramahamsa himself lived. Following this up with a visit to Belur math was icing on the cake.
It is an interesting boat ride to Belur Math that lasts about 15-20 minutes. One forgets that this is one of India's metros. In fact, I think, this is precisely the USP of Kolkata.
Once you get off the jetty near the Math, it is a 2 minute walk to the premises of the math. There are different structures/ temples inside the premises.
In particular, I found peace at the temple which stands at the spot where the Samadhi of Swami Vivekananda is. Standing nearby is a tree, under which, as legend goes, the Swami spent a lot of his evenings meditating. Whether one is a devotee, agnostic or atheist, the powerful vibrations there are hard to miss.
The main structure is a temple devoted to Ramakrishna Paramahamsa himself. As the bells tong before the aarti, all the people in the premises assemble at this temple. The Aarti was elaborate with hymns being sung by the large audience assembled (For the record, the temple hall is huge and can seat hundreds of people at a time and it was not just overcrowded, there were people not just on the threshold, but also outside the hall). I do not quite recollect what my emotions were during the minutes when the hymns were sung. I know for a fact that the music and ambience transported me to a different plane and all that I remember is when the Aarti got over, my eyes were moist.
The journey back by boat takes one almost 40-45 minutes.
Kolkata did not end there; the following evening, my friends (from ECS) and I went to Flurries@Park Street... We also spent a good 30-45 minutes in a pub inside Park Hotel. I fail to recollect the name of the live band that was performing- but they were awesome.
The next two days were tense as we were caught in floods, eventually having to cancel one day of work. I shall not speak much about those two days where even finding food was an ordeal. I shall soon upload the snaps and the pictures shall speak.
Let me mention here for the record that until the aircraft actually took off, we were not sure when we would be able to escape the flood-wrath in Kolkata.
I look back now at the trip, specially the sunday there as amongst bthe best days of life. I would love to go back to Kolkata soon... I may not like to be a resident there... There are flipsides which I choose not to mention...
Nevertheless... the land of Tagore and vivekananda.... beckons me again...
Kolkata- I shall come back...
Bengal- the land of Vivekananda and Yogananda... the land of Tagore... Netaji... of Ray and Ghatak... of Saurav Ganguly and Leander Paes...
Bengal of Dokkhineswar (Thats how Dakshineswar is pronounced...right??) .... mayapur... Hughli... Howrah...
Bengal of Bipasha Basu... of Rosogullas... of Sondesh.....
Bengal of Devdas...
My heart swelled with emotion and joy as I landed in the city of Joy from Ranchi. I had last come here as a kid. I could hear in the corner of my mind a statement somebody made... I could not recollect who the somebody was...nevertheless... the statement was "What Bengal thinks today, India thinks tomorrow"...
I had been long anticipating this trip. The first evening was rather uneventful. It was cloudy and I was tired after a gruelling 6 hours in the car and a couple later in the aircraft.
The city is most beautiful in the evening/ night. The buildings are old... The ambience is of an era gone by... Even the taxis that operate are Ambassador cars...
I've always believed that the character of a city can be determined by how safe its women are... And that is best characterised by the number of women you see on the streets in the dark... I think Kolkata scores heavily there...
Bong women have always fascinated me. Interestingly, though not unexpectedly, none of my female Bong friends found me fascinating.
I was fortunate enough to get a Sunday in Kolkata before my work began on Monday.
I had an awesome breakfast of Singhada-Jolebi- Rosogulla- Sondesh- 1 more Singhada, and followed that up with much wanted Tamil meals for lunch at Madras tiffin house right next to Metro Cinema near Esplanade.
My first stopover was Thakurbaari...where Robindranath Tagore was born and eventually breathed his last. Bengalis have not just been extraordinary thinkers, but have been great patrons of art... Who better than Tagore himself could be testimony to this...
As I stepped into the compound of Tagore's house, I could hear in a corner of my mind, the immortal lines- "jadi tor daak shune keu naa aashe tabe ekla chalo re tabe ekla chalo, ekla chalo, ekla chalo...."
Ekla chalo is perhaps one of the powerful songs I have heard... What a poem!!!
I hired a cab and we drove to the Kali temple at Dakshineswar.
I got down at the temple and walked first towards Yogoda Satsanga Society founded by Paramhansa Yogananda himself. The place, as expected was serene and beautiful. Situated on the bank of Hooghli, there is a quiet peace one experiences as one enters the premises. The friendly nature of people touches the visitor- right from the security guard to the people in the library to the gentleman in the meditation room. The few minutes I spent in the meditation room there would be amongst the most cherished moments in the trip.
The beautiful evening had just begun. I walked back to the Kali temple. The moments inside were awesome. It was crowded, and strangely, I could still find peace there. (Typically I find it difficult to find peace in a group/ when there are people around)
One of the lines written on the wall outside the Sanctum Sanctorum in the temple was a line from a scripture- "Ya Devi Sarva Bhootheshu, Maatri RoopeNa Samsthitha... Namasthasyi Namasthasyi Namo Namaha"... I love this line.
Amongst the most memorable moments in the evening was spending a few quiet seconds in the room where Ramakrishna Paramahamsa himself lived. Following this up with a visit to Belur math was icing on the cake.
It is an interesting boat ride to Belur Math that lasts about 15-20 minutes. One forgets that this is one of India's metros. In fact, I think, this is precisely the USP of Kolkata.
Once you get off the jetty near the Math, it is a 2 minute walk to the premises of the math. There are different structures/ temples inside the premises.
In particular, I found peace at the temple which stands at the spot where the Samadhi of Swami Vivekananda is. Standing nearby is a tree, under which, as legend goes, the Swami spent a lot of his evenings meditating. Whether one is a devotee, agnostic or atheist, the powerful vibrations there are hard to miss.
The main structure is a temple devoted to Ramakrishna Paramahamsa himself. As the bells tong before the aarti, all the people in the premises assemble at this temple. The Aarti was elaborate with hymns being sung by the large audience assembled (For the record, the temple hall is huge and can seat hundreds of people at a time and it was not just overcrowded, there were people not just on the threshold, but also outside the hall). I do not quite recollect what my emotions were during the minutes when the hymns were sung. I know for a fact that the music and ambience transported me to a different plane and all that I remember is when the Aarti got over, my eyes were moist.
The journey back by boat takes one almost 40-45 minutes.
Kolkata did not end there; the following evening, my friends (from ECS) and I went to Flurries@Park Street... We also spent a good 30-45 minutes in a pub inside Park Hotel. I fail to recollect the name of the live band that was performing- but they were awesome.
The next two days were tense as we were caught in floods, eventually having to cancel one day of work. I shall not speak much about those two days where even finding food was an ordeal. I shall soon upload the snaps and the pictures shall speak.
Let me mention here for the record that until the aircraft actually took off, we were not sure when we would be able to escape the flood-wrath in Kolkata.
I look back now at the trip, specially the sunday there as amongst bthe best days of life. I would love to go back to Kolkata soon... I may not like to be a resident there... There are flipsides which I choose not to mention...
Nevertheless... the land of Tagore and vivekananda.... beckons me again...
Kolkata- I shall come back...
Sunday, June 24, 2007
Rajni- The Boss
I've never been crazy about any film hero/super hero. I've liked most movies of Mammootty, Kamal Haasan, Aamir Khan and Amitabh Bachchan. However, I've always failed to grasp the God-like aura that is associated with some southern superstars, thanks to which they are placed at a pedestal that mere mortals can possibly never attain.
All this, until I saw Sivaji- The Boss.
It's been over a week since the movie released, and in the essentially Hindi speaking Delhi, I could not get a ticket for any of the shows on Sunday and had to be content with a 11.00 PM show on Saturday (yesterday) at one of the multiplexes.
The movie began with a tribute to 60 "golden" years of AVM, followed by the graphics which read "SUPERSTAR" followed by a pause and then... "R-A-J-N-I". The shouts of "Rajni" then drowned whatever sound/ music came off the Dolby speakers over the next few minutes. All this- at night in a Punjabi dominated locale.
The next few minutes were crazy- whenever HE was on screen, the crowd went just crazy. There is a dialogue in the movie, when HE is lodged in a jail, and HIS neighbours asks him if HE had been jailed for murder, dacoity or rape... The Boss replies in the negative... The neighbour asks, "then why?".... The Boss says "Naattukku Nalladu Senjaen" (I did something good for the nation)... There...the crowd goes into a frenzy again...
In the later minutes, I saw how Rajni beats up a 100 goons single handedly (THIS FIGURE OF 100 IS NOT AN EXAGERRATION, BUT AN UNDERSTATEMENT)... and then visits them all at the Royapettah hospital with a basket of fruits and horlicks for each of them...
I saw how he turns barren land into green pastures, and gives a sense of direction to misguided youth... How he builds hospitals and schools where treatment/ education is free... how he converts thatched huts into concrete structures... untarred roads into tarred ones....
The concretization of a zillion dreams on celluloid....
The erstwhile beedi/ cigarette that he used to so stylishly throw into his mouth has now been replaced by a centerfresh. The punchlines are very much there, though he lets his sidekick mouth them for him at times (eg. chennaiya thaandna Katpaadi - Sivaji adicha nee dead body.... Sachin adicha sixer- Sivaji adicha nee puncher)
The slow motions shots are very much there.
For a nation starved of real life heroes (ah! i know thats a cliched quote), what people see on screen is a manifestation of things as people would like them to be... a man fighting against a corrupt system... And Winning... a state where there is visible progress... where evil dare not raise its hood.....
And the person who makes it all happen is none other than the Boss himself. When I walked out of the theatre, I was somewhere disappointed in Shankar's skills as a director for he gives so simplistic solutions to so complex problems. But I now know why Rajni is worshipped in Tamil Nadu and a few other places. To all of you who read this, you may or not be convinced of Rajni's powers. But go watch it- you may or not like the movie, but its an experience not worth missing.
PS- As I walked out of the hall, my mind raced back to my 4th standard days. I could hear my Malayalam teacher recite "Maaveli naadu vaaNeedum kaalam...."....
Only that "Maaveli" was replaced by "Rajni".
All this, until I saw Sivaji- The Boss.
It's been over a week since the movie released, and in the essentially Hindi speaking Delhi, I could not get a ticket for any of the shows on Sunday and had to be content with a 11.00 PM show on Saturday (yesterday) at one of the multiplexes.
The movie began with a tribute to 60 "golden" years of AVM, followed by the graphics which read "SUPERSTAR" followed by a pause and then... "R-A-J-N-I". The shouts of "Rajni" then drowned whatever sound/ music came off the Dolby speakers over the next few minutes. All this- at night in a Punjabi dominated locale.
The next few minutes were crazy- whenever HE was on screen, the crowd went just crazy. There is a dialogue in the movie, when HE is lodged in a jail, and HIS neighbours asks him if HE had been jailed for murder, dacoity or rape... The Boss replies in the negative... The neighbour asks, "then why?".... The Boss says "Naattukku Nalladu Senjaen" (I did something good for the nation)... There...the crowd goes into a frenzy again...
In the later minutes, I saw how Rajni beats up a 100 goons single handedly (THIS FIGURE OF 100 IS NOT AN EXAGERRATION, BUT AN UNDERSTATEMENT)... and then visits them all at the Royapettah hospital with a basket of fruits and horlicks for each of them...
I saw how he turns barren land into green pastures, and gives a sense of direction to misguided youth... How he builds hospitals and schools where treatment/ education is free... how he converts thatched huts into concrete structures... untarred roads into tarred ones....
The concretization of a zillion dreams on celluloid....
The erstwhile beedi/ cigarette that he used to so stylishly throw into his mouth has now been replaced by a centerfresh. The punchlines are very much there, though he lets his sidekick mouth them for him at times (eg. chennaiya thaandna Katpaadi - Sivaji adicha nee dead body.... Sachin adicha sixer- Sivaji adicha nee puncher)
The slow motions shots are very much there.
For a nation starved of real life heroes (ah! i know thats a cliched quote), what people see on screen is a manifestation of things as people would like them to be... a man fighting against a corrupt system... And Winning... a state where there is visible progress... where evil dare not raise its hood.....
And the person who makes it all happen is none other than the Boss himself. When I walked out of the theatre, I was somewhere disappointed in Shankar's skills as a director for he gives so simplistic solutions to so complex problems. But I now know why Rajni is worshipped in Tamil Nadu and a few other places. To all of you who read this, you may or not be convinced of Rajni's powers. But go watch it- you may or not like the movie, but its an experience not worth missing.
PS- As I walked out of the hall, my mind raced back to my 4th standard days. I could hear my Malayalam teacher recite "Maaveli naadu vaaNeedum kaalam...."....
Only that "Maaveli" was replaced by "Rajni".
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